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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2008)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, August 21, 2008 Hwy. 47 N. to close Aug. 27 to Sept. 10 From the City By Jim Johnson Interim Vernonia City Administrator The Opinion on the Vernonia Bicycle Skills Park, in the August 7th issue of The Indepen- dent , interested me because the proposed park will be owned by the City. After reading the Opin- ion piece, I think it might be beneficial to share a few more facts with readers. Being new to Vernonia, I interviewed City Recorder Joann Glass, Mayor Sally Harrison, and Scott Laird, chair of the City’s Parks Com- mittee, for help with this article. As I understand it, the Bicycle Skills Park proj- ect was started three years ago. The idea is to create a local attraction and help make Vernonia a bicycling destination. A consulting firm called Ric Balfour and Associates was hired to create a Master Plan – a vision of what the park would be like when complete. The Balfour firm also helped prepare the application for the city’s land use process (a Conditional Use Permit). At the pub- lic hearing, 13 local citizens spoke in favor of the project and one against. The consultant also helped make a presentation to Vernonia Middle School and High School students, after which about forty students signed up to be involved in the project. Last summer, local volunteers began building trails on the site. Two local residents volunteered use of their tractors and mowed designated ar- eas for trails. Two other citizens offered use of their ATVs which were used to drag tractor wheels to remove surface vegetation along the trails. A group of local youth spent a day on dirt bikes to help break-in the trails. Another citizen volunteered his time and a bulldozer to clear the areas for the Skateboard Park and Dirt Jump Park. Roughly 27 volunteers logged about 200 hours of time on trailbuilding alone during 2007; over 300 volunteer hours have been spent on planning the project so far. Finally, Columbia Riv- er Youth Corp, an alternative school program in St. Helens, was hired as trail builders for eight work days, and did the finish work of cutting in the trails, a decision an expenditure approved by the Vernonia Parks Committee and the City Council. This year, the project has not moved forward as quickly as was hoped. Spring and fall are tra- ditionally trailbuilding seasons, with little con- struction done during summer months. The flood last December has left community members with other important priorities. Many of the city’s vol- unteers have been working on flood-related is- sues. But, more work is planned for the park. Please see page 22 A contractor for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) plans to begin work soon on a culvert replacement project on Highway 47. During the two-week project, Highway 47 will be closed to all vehicles Offer accepted for sale of old City Hall From page 1 other storefront along the city’s main street. And, the mayor said, “We’re glad that the new owners plan on opening a new business and employing more Vernonia residents.” The transaction should close by the end of August. Within six months the City will remove the building’s small ad- dition, currently housing a real estate office. Then it will possi- ble to connect the courtyard behind it to Bridge Street. Ed. note: See Vernonia City Coun- cil meeting article for additional in- formation. 24 hours/day at mile post 1.25, just south of Clatskanie. The highway closure is anticipated to begin on Wednesday, Au- gust 27, and is scheduled to re- open 15 days later (Wednes- day, September 10). Electronic Message Signs will be placed at the intersec- tions of U.S. 30 (Lower Colum- bia River Highway) and High- way 47, and at Highway 47 and Highway 202 to advise mo- torists of the closure period. During the highway closure, Apiary Road will be the detour route for through traffic. Apiary Road connects Highway 47 south of Mist with U.S. 30 via Old Rainier Rd/Larson Rd just west of Rainier. Workers will be installing a 7-by-19 foot concrete culvert at Fall Creek, a location that ex- perienced flooding earlier this year. The new culvert will allow for fish passage. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Monday 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Arts & Crafts Society 2nd Thursday 2:00 p.m., City Library Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., City Hall CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Hands On Art Committee 1st & 3rd Thursdays 4:00 p.m., City Hall Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant Municipal Airport Committee 4th Thursday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Narcotics Anonymous Saturdays 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 3rd Thursday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 3rd Thursday 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 6:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 1:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st, 3rd & 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Fridays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics Anonymous Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tuesdays 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Library Commission 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sundays, Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Friends of the Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park Assoc. 3rd Wednesday 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T.O.P.S. Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesdays 10 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Monday 6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.
